Auburn's Mt. Apatite to be studied by city, National Guard

AUBURN, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- The land surrounding Mount Apatite in Auburn is part ball fields, part public park, part Army National Guard training facility, and now it's the subject of a new study.

With a grant from the Department of Defense, Auburn residents, city officials, and representatives from the National Guard will conduct a Joint Land Use Study.

The near $150,000 in grant money is awarded to projects that will promote civilian growth and development, while maintaining compatibility with military operations.

"I can't think of another site in the city that has this many recreational and other public uses," said Auburn City Planner Eric Cousens.

"There are potential for conflicts between the uses, so it's something that we've known about for awhile, but we had an opportunity for a grant to actually fund this planning effort," he said.

According to Lt. Col. Dwaine Drummond, it's becoming increasingly important to work with the City of Auburn and the people using the park, as the Maine Army National Guard conducts training in such close proximity.

"With the conflicts in the Middle East, we've really had to increase the training that we do in state," said Drummond.

The JLUS is a year-long study, and the committee met with consultants for its first meeting on Wednesday.